Monday, April 21, 2014

From InterAksyon (Apr 21): MILF seeks explanation of Ferrer's call to expel members with 'links' to Abu Sayyaf

MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadazali Jaafar. FILE PHOTO

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has asked chief government peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer to clarify what she meant by asking the erstwhile rebel organization to expel members with links to the Abu Sayyaf.

Ferrer on Monday released a press statement asking the MILF to help secure the freedom of kidnap victims, including those held by the Abu Sayyaf.

In the same statement, Ferrer alluded to an April 11 military operation against the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan in which four MILF members were reported among the nine gunmen killed, and asked the MILF to “expel from their ranks those who reject peace and are directly or indirectly abetting the hostage-taking and preventing development to set in.”

“The peace process should not be used to shield criminals from their accountability for their crimes against innocent civilians,” she added.

Reacting to this, Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chairman for political affairs, said as chair of the government peace panel, Ferrer “is not supposed to” issue such a statement “sapagkat (because) she will be misunderstood.”

He also wondered if Ferrer was “speaking in behalf of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” which has regularly accused the MILF of an alliance with the Abu Sayyaf and other kidnap-for-ransom groups, charges he denied.

“Definitely, wala kaming (we have no) alliance with the Abu Sayyaf. Why should we enter into an alliance with the Abu Sayyaf at this point in time when we have signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro last march 27?” he asked.

When asked about the possibility that some MILF may, indeed, have links to the Abu Sayyaf, he replied: “I don’t have that information.”

“You know we cannot speculate on this issue which is very, very sensitive to the peace process,” he added.

From InterAksyon (Apr 21): China has a sitting judge in ITLOS, who wrote legal article on 9-dash line - veteran China watcher

A Chinese legal scholar, who wrote an article about the 9-dash line published by the American Journal of International Law (AJIL), is a sitting judge in the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) where the Philippines has filed a complaint against China’s “excessive claim” in the South China Sea.

Chito Sta. Romana, the former Beijing bureau chief of ABC News, and an Emmy award-winning journalist who lived in China for 39 years, noted this at the Tapatan media forum at Aristocrat Restaurant in Manila on Monday.

Sta. Romana said that Professor Zhiguo Gao is a sitting judge in ITLOS but not a member of an ad-hoc tribunal created to hear the Philippine memorial against China, who wrote a legal article about the 9-dash line which could be used to “understand” China’s position in its maritime row with the Philippines. Manila has said with the 9-dash line, Beijing is practically claiming the entire South China Sea, including Philippine territory.

“(T)he judge is not a member of the (ad-hoc) tribunal; but he is a member (judge) of ITLOS who wrote an article in American Journal in International Law last year explaining the legal basis and history of 9-dash line,” Sta. Romana said.

Aside from Professor Gao, China has a legal adviser, Stefan Colman of the University of Bonne, “who came out with a book, together with the Chinese legal scholars, seen as a legal brief against the Philippine memorial filed before ITLOS,” Sta. Romana said.

Understanding 9-dash line

Since China is not participating in the arbitration and is not explaining its position against the Philippine memorial submitted last March 30, the 5-man ad hoc tribunal will rely on the legal articles written by international legal luminaries such as Gao and Colman, “to understand the 9-dash line used by Beijing in claiming the disputed island,” Sta Romana said.

“The Chinese are not participating in the arbitration but the judges in the tribunal will have to satisfy themselves to understand the basis of the Philippine case to declare the 9-dash line illegal. They have to understand the 9-dash line, so they will rely on the Chinese public statements and the works of legal scholars including the works of this Chinese judge that wrote this article,” Sta. Romana said.

He hinted that the decision of the tribunal may be influenced by legal articles written by Gao and Colman even if there are no Chinese members in the ad hoc arbitration committee.

“The tribunal is made up of five judges, none of them are Chinese or designated by the Chinese, but they (Gao, Colman, and arbitrators) are associates, they fraternize each other, they know each other in the international law community,” he explained.

China’s legal brief

The essay written by Colman is a 280-page anthology of essays which could be used by ITLOS arbitrators as a reference book since it cannot get the official Chinese position on the maritime row.

“It is an anthology of essays . . . like their legal brief answering the Philippine case. And again this would be a reference book for the judges, the arbitrators because if they cannot get the Chinese position, they are still obliged to understand the Chinese position,” Sta. Romana said.

Also, Professor Gao’s article concludes that the 9-dash line is a claim to the islands, the reefs, and the insular, the land, the adjacent water, the 12-mile, the entitlement under UNCLOS and the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEC), Sta, Romana explained.

“It is not a claim to all the waters, that is what he is saying, that is not a territorial claim to the waters that is an important position,” he said.

“But, it is not the official position of the Chinese government; the Chinese government position is still vague, they have not explicitly said the meaning of 9-dash line although we know the 9-dash line has no coordinates,” he added.

Only time will tell if the Chinese government adopts the Chinese judge’s position, because the Chinese judge position is a moderate position.

“The Philippine case hinges on the interpretation that the 9-dash line is a territorial and maritime border claim; in other words, if you go into this, it is already Chinese territory,” Sta. Romana said.

China has no explicit position

Although the Chinese government has not explicitly stated their position, the naval and maritime units of China are behaving as if they are claiming the waters, Sta. Romana said.

“So, the point here is that you have one interpretation of this Chinese ITLOS judge, but the Chinese government has not yet officially adopted this position. The Chinese government is now being forced to explain it and whether it is going to adopt this moderate article, or whether declare coordinates and declare a hardline position remains to be seen,” he said.

Nonetheless, Sta. Romana said whether the Gao and Colman articles are written or not, the Chinese government is conducting a legal warfare trying to win the case legally too, “and they will try to influence the outcome of it in whatever way possible. What that would be, time will tell.”

Sta Romana believes the Chinese are trying to make their case in the international legal community by allowing Gao and Colman to outline their legal case against the Philippines. “The Chinese government will not take this case sitting down because they are accusing the Philippines rightly or wrongly, of using this case to claim position of island that Chinese think are theirs,” he said.

“Definitely, they are trying to show that the tribunal has no jurisdiction or even the Tribunal will accept the Philippine case is defective both in law and in fact. The Philippines though, I think will try fight out this case legally,” he added.

PH’s lookout

He said the Philippines side has already read the articles written by the two legal luminaries, but should still be aware of the arguments presented by the Chinese ITLOS judge and the German scholar in their legal articles, “and if they can meet head-on this argument, we stand a stronger change of winning our case because that is the only way.”

Basically, the legal documents written by Gao and Cullman outline Chinese position and what the arbitrators are confronted with. “So, it is incumbent upon us to be able to, not only to meet them head on but defeat the argument with the best legal arguments,” he said.

“So, expect China to do everything they can to influence the outcome of the arbitration. Although they are not participating inside the Court, they are engaged in a legal warfare outside the Court,” he added.

From InterAksyon (Apr 22): Pact allowing more US troops in PH unlikely to be signed in time for Obama's visit - Palace

A week before the visit of United States President Barack Obama, the proposed Enhanced Defense Cooperation (EDC) agreement between the two countries is still undergoing an inter-agency vetting, the Palace said Monday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that because of this, it is not likely that the EDC would be signed in time for US President Barack Obama’s visit to the Philippines next week.

Earlier, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has warned that the proposed agreement would be unconstitutional without the Senate’s concurrence. The Palace has said that the pact that would allow more US troops on Philippine soil is not a treaty and thus will not be submitted to the Senate for concurrence.

“Noong huli tayong nagbigay ng update, ang sinabi ng Philippine panel ay it’s (EDC) undergoing inter-agency vetting from both sides (The last time we gave an update, the Philippine panel said that it’s still undergoing inter-agency vetting from both sides),” Coloma said in a Palace media briefing.

He further said that the agreement is to have an implementation of aspects wherein specific agencies of the government will play a role.

"There are implementing aspects that affect agencies of government across the executive department and we will have to get their sign off before we agree on the final draft of the agreement," he added.

Coloma also said that President Obama’s visit is not at all linked to the signing of the EDC, so there is “really no deadline or pressure” on getting it signed immediately.

“Ang mahalaga sa lahat, kung ano man ang magiging laman nitong kasunduang ito ay dapat na naaayon sa pambansang interes ng Pilipinas (What is most important is that whatever is contained in this agreement will be according to the national interest of the Philippines),” he said.

As for President Obama’s state-visit itinerary, Coloma said its details have yet to be released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The Philippine Navy "ghost ship" BRP Sierra Madre, now grounded at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, might have lost all her naval might but the vessel is now playing a major role in the country’s maritime sovereignty and economic interests in the territorial dispute with mighty China.

The dilapidated Sierra Madre, on her own and guarded only by a handful of Marines, has also become a rallying point of the government and the Philippine Navy (PN) in handling and addressing peacefully the prevailing territorial dispute.

“She’s out there at Ayungin Shoal not to do naval combat but as a peaceful symbol of our country’s sovereignty over the area. She’s playing a role that our other vessels of her class could not perform without adding to the prevailing tension over the area,” a senior Navy officer said.

Picking the path to resolve peacefully its maritime dispute with China through the legal arena, the government has disallowed the use of the Navy’s combat-ready vessels around Ayungin Shoal, which is near Palawan.

Tagged as a ghost ship by American sailors, the former troop transport vessel Sierra Madre is now rusty and beyond repair, its sailing days clearly over.

Navy chief Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano earlier said that the Navy would conduct repairs on the Sierra Madre to prevent the vessel from collapsing.

At present, the ship that the government grounded at Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to monitor China’s aggressive move in the area is tilting slightly to portside and thick rust has started eating at its metal beams and trusses.

The BRP Sierra Madre was formerly commissioned in the US Navy as the Landing Ship Tank 822 (LST) USS Harnett Country during World War II and also served as a hospital ship with a mortuary for American soldiers killed in action during the war.

The military says suspected NPA guerrillas torch construction equipment in New Bataan town in the latest of their 'desperate extortion activities'

Suspected
communist guerrillas burned a backhoe of a construction company in New Bataan
town in CompostelaValley on Sunday evening,
April 20, the military said.

The 5th Civil
Relations Group said a group of rebels, believed to be from the Guerrilla Front
27 of the New People's Army (NPA), torched the equipment owned by ABA construction company
in Barangay Magangit at around 8 pm.

The rebels
immediately fled using two motorcycles towards the direction of Maragusan town,
the military said.

The NPA also
attacked St. Augustine Gold and Copper Ltd in Pantukan town on April 7,
destroying several portable drills.

The military
claims the attacks were "desperate extortion activities," while the
NPA said the punitive actions were directed against the companies for their
alleged anti-environment and anti-labor practices.

LABANGAN, Zamboanga del Sur -- The Philippine Army’s 1st Infantry (Tabak) Division based in this town will celebrate its 78th founding anniversary come May 5.

Tabak, which specializes in anti-guerilla warfare, was established on May 5, 1936 as the 1st regular division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and was stationed at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

On December 4, 1989, it was transferred and stationed in Camp Major Cesar L Sang-an in Barangay Pulacan, Labangan, Zamboanga Del Sur.

The division is known as world's best anti-guerilla fighters in Asia combating terrorists in Southern Mindanao.

In a press release issued by the Division Public Affairs Office, it said that several activities were lined up for the month-long celebration, which formally commenced last April 8 with no less than theTabak commander, Maj. Gen. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad Jr.as guest of honor and speaker during the opening ceremony held at the division grandstand.

A squad challenge was held on the opening day with participants from the different battalions under 1st Infantry (Tabak) Division. They competed for a week to test their individual and collective competence as squad and to promote teamwork, leadership and unity.

An inter-color sports fest was also held with eight teams actively participating in different fun games, basketball, lawn tennis and badminton.

On April 26 at 9 a.m., a photo exhibit will be conducted at Gaisano Mall to update the public on the army’s capabilities in safeguarding Filipino people and protecting the country’s sovereignty. This will be followed by a fun run on May 3 to be held at Pagadian City starting at Plaza Luz to rotunda.

The event, which will start at 4 a.m. will have the following features: a 3-kilometer, 5-kilometer, and 7-kilometer run. It aims to foster harmonious relationship with the stakeholders in support of the Army’s Internal Peace and Security Plan dubbed as “Bayanihan.”

Following the fun run, a motorcade will also be held from Plaza Luz to barangay Kawit to be capped by a clean-up drive at the coastal area of said barangay.

On May 3, a medical and dental outreach program for indigent patients will also be conducted at Barangay Deburok, Pagadian City.

At 10 a.m. on May 7, an anniversary parade and arrival honors will be held at the Tabak Grandstand, and in the evening, an anniversary night will be held at the 1st Infantry Divisions old parade ground.

From the Negros Daily Bulletin (Apr 22): Youth Urged to Join the Army In Serving the People, In Securing the Land

The Philippine Army is once again opening an opportunity for the Filipino youth who dreams to join the Army and to proudly serve the people and secure the land.

The Philippine Army Recruitment Center Office for Visayas of the Army Personnel Management Center will facilitate the Philippine Army Aptitude Test Battery (PAATB), Army Qualifying Exam (AQE) and Special Written Exam (SWE) to qualified applicants for Officer Candidate Course (OCC), Officer Preparatory Course (OPC) and Candidate Soldiers Course (CSC).

The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division yesterday disclosed the schedule and venue of examinations:

April 24, 2014 at the Negros Oriental State University Bais City campus; April 26, at the Carlos Hilado Memorial State College-Binalbagan Campus, Negros Occidental;

April 28, the West Negros University in Bacolod; while on April 30, at Canlaon City Gym in Negros Or.

Qualified to take the examinations, the Army said are:

Officer Candidate Course- Natural born Filipino citizen, Baccalaureate Degree Holder, 21 to 24 years old at the start of training (for Civilian), 21 to 29 years old at the start of training (for EP), must have completed at least one term or three years continuous active military service (for EP); single/never been married and has no legal obligation to support a child, at least 5 feet for both male and female, physically and mentally fit, no pending case in any court of law.

The 3rd ID said the OCC is a one-year course which prepares a candidate mentally, physically, and emotionally to become an army officer. Upon graduation, the individual will be commissioned as an Army 2nd Lieutenant into the Regular Force, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Officer Preparatory Course Natural born Filipino citizen, Baccalaureate Degree Holder, Commissioned 2Lt in Reserved Force, must be 21 but no more than 31 years old on the date of Call to Active Duty (CAD), must have completed at least one term or three years continuous active military service (for EP), single/never been married and has no legal obligation to support a child at the time of CAD (for civilian), at least 5 feet for both male and female, physically and mentally fit, no pending case in any court of law.

"If one is already an Army 2nd Lieutenant in the Reserved Force, AFP and on inactive status, s/he must be a graduate of Probationary Officer Training Course (POTC) and the six-month OPC prepares one for active duty in the Regular Force, AFP.

Candidate Soldiers Course- Natural born Filipino citizen, single/never been married and has no legal obligation to support a child, preferably 72 units in college, 18 to 26 years old but must not be 27 years old at the convening date, at least 5 feet for both male and female, physically and mentally fit, no pending case in any court of law.
With special skills needed by the AFP or Philippine Army if the applicant is only a High School graduate. Proof of such skills must be shown.

The CSC will undergo the three months basic military training and forty-five days Jungle Warfare and Mountains Orientation Course (JWMOC) with rigid combat training to be enlisted into the regular force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the rank of private in the term of three years.

The pre-screening of documents is required to prospective applicants in the nearest Army units/stations on designated areas/venues.

Applicants shall bring the following at the examination center: College diploma, Transcript of Records (TOR), Birth Certificate (NSO original), Valid Identification Card, Pencil Number 2, Ball pen and a long folder. Attire is White T-Shirt, Pants and Rubber Shoes.

Interested applicants may contact Major Bernard Zildo Fernandez at mobile number 0919-312-1480 or SSg Ronie Cornelio at mobile number 0916-640-5919 or log on to http://www.army.mil.ph/.

The 3ID also said in a statement that "pay and Benefits for Officers include: Pay and allowances (Monthly Gross) for Officer Candidate –P29, 007.00 and 2LT (Call to Active Duty) - P32, 668.00, for Candidate Soldier – P14,205.00 and Private (Enlistment) – P20,404.00, Insurance and healthcare benefits, Billeting and housing privileges, Job security, Leadership and other skills trainings, Opportunity for career advancement based on performance, Opportunities for Post Graduate Studies both within the country and abroad and an Opportunity to lead in the Philippine Army.

A farmer who went missing after having been abducted by alleged informers or assets of the 47th IB, which is operating in Southern Negros, has remained unaccounted up to this date, his common-law wife and farmer-colleagues told NNF/NDB in an interview yesterday.

Still missing and unaccounted for and believed to have been secretly detained by units of the 47th IB was Benny Lubrico Catipan of Bunsad Subvillage, Buena-vista Village, Himamaylan City. The subvillage is located in a mountainous area of the city, his common-law wife, Charisse Duran, told fellow farmer-members.

That day at about 8:00 a.m. two men known as military informers named Moco de la Cruz and Boboy Talapa paid the family a visit with the intent of convincing Catipan to surrender because he was presumably a member of the rebel New People’s Army (NPA), but Benny denied he was a member of the guerilla group and about noontime the two military informers took him along with them. Until now he has not been found with friends and relatives fearing the worse for him. His wife surmised that the incident on April 13, could be linked to another one where the two men the military assets also visited them, last January 28.

The family of the missing farmer has sought succor from a farmer’s non-goverment organization and have asked it to help them in locating their missing kin.

But they fear the worse has befallen him, Catipan, and are seeking the help of the farmer’s partylist group, KMP.

From the Manila Bulletin (Apr 22): Suspected NPAs gun down Cagayan town mayor

GONZAGA, CAGAYAN – Gunmen clad in para-military style uniform shot dead Mayor
Carlito Pentecostes Jr. of this northeastern town on the foothills of the
Sierra Madre during Monday’s flag-raising ceremony, sending panic-stricken
employees of the first-class town fleeing to safety, the military said.

Pentecostes

“Pursuit operations are now ongoing. Soldiers from the 502nd Infantry Brigade are coordinating closely with the Philippine National Police for appropriate action,” said Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Garcia, commander of the military’s 1st Civil Relations Group.

Pentecostes, a second-termer mayor of this town, more than 550 kms north of Manila, was slain in a daring attack before an awe-struck audience of employees at around 8:15 a.m., shortly before he was to deliver his message before them, a resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Manila Bulletin by telephone.

The resident said the suspects, between 15 and 20 in number, were in military uniform and scattered leaflets before they fled in several vehicles, including a commandeered police patrol car along the main highway which leads to Santa Ana town, nearly 30 kms to the east facing the Babuyan Channel.

Aquino Condemns Killing

In Manila, a spokesman for President Benigno S. Aquino III condemned the murder and said catching the killers would be a government priority.

Maj. Gen. Benito de Leon, commander of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division, said additional troops had been dispatched to augment the local police and seal off the area in efforts to capture the suspects.

De Leon said information reaching his office indicated the mayor, in his late 50s, thought the suspects were military personnel.

Upon seeing them in the crowd, Pentecostes reportedly approached the suspects.

“The mayor thought they were military people so pumunta siya para kausapin, yun pala hindi,” said De Leon.

The 5ID commander said the armed men held and disarmed the mayor’s bodyguards before shooting Pentecostes.

Initial investigation suggested Pentecostes, a civil engineer by profession, appeared to be the main and only target of the assailants.

Police at the scene appeared helpless after they were disarmed as the gunman approached Pentecostes, according to SPO1 Maricon Labsangkay, of the Gonzaga police.

“They disarmed not only the policemen who attended the flag-raising but also those manning the traffic,” Labsangkay told the Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.

Labsangkay said Pentecostes appeared to have witnessed the arrival of the gunmen on board a van but thought they were government troops.

Labsangkay said the incident did not end in the shooting as some of the armed men barged inside several offices and took some of the office equipment and personal belongings of the employees.

“They took several computer units and bags. They also destroyed some office equipment,” said Labsangkay.

The suspects were also reported to have carted away the three Glock caliber 9mm pistols from the disarmed police officers.

Killers ApologizeShortly after Pentecostes was shot, the suspects disarmed and tied at least three policemen manning vehicular traffic nearby, with one of them quoted as telling the police in Ilocano “Pasensiakayon sir, awan basolyo, ni laeng mayoryo ti nakabasol,” (Our apologies, sir, you are not at fault, only your mayor is.)

Other leaflets had the line, also in the Ilocano language, “Hustisya para iti kaaduan, dusaen dagiti utek ti dayuhan a minas iti Cagayan.” (Justice for the majority, punish the brains of the illegal mining operations by foreigners in Cagayan).

Asked if those responsible are New People’s Army (NPA), Labsangkay said the involvement of the communist rebels was indicated in the leaflets.

But when De Leon was asked if there are indications that the suspects could be members of the NPA, he said this angle was being investigated.

He said police are now looking into the motive behind the attack although “there are speculations that there are some groups who are not happy with his (mayor’s) business arrangements in the area.”

“So parang ginantihan siya, pero speculation yun,” he stressed.

The NPA has been active in Cagayan in recent months. Only last January, they raided a black sand mining firm there and burnt heavy equipment.

De Leon further said additional Army personnel were deployed to seal off the area in an effort to capture those behind the attack.

But some from the town said the suspects appear to be guerrillas of the military wing of the dwindling Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been waging a 45-year-old insurgency in the hinterlands of the country.

According to some employees, many of whom scampered to the nearby rice fields, the suspects scattered leaflets “where the content was about black sand mining and how they will punish the people involved.”

Black Sand MiningPentecostes, who became Gonzaga’s chief executive in 2010, has been accused by environmentalists of abetting illegal black sand mining in his area, allegations he denied.

He was a member of the opposition coalition which includes Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, said Toby Tiangco, secretary-general of the party.

Informed sources said Gonzaga hosts foreigners doing black sand mining in the province, alleged to be illegal and has been reportedly the subject of the complaints of the local residents.

In Manila, Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac, chief police information officer, said black sand mining is one of the angles they are looking into as the motive behind the death of Pentecostes.

But aside from mining, Sindac said local politics will also be included in the conduct of investigation.

“This (politics) is one of the factors that will be considered,” said Sindac.

But he said the possible lapses of the local police will also be investigated.

“But the possible lapses will be taken up later, our main concern now is to run after the perpetrators,” said Sindac.

To the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is just a scrap of paper.

The OIC, formerly Organization of the Islamic Conference, is “the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents,” its website says.

According to an official of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the OIC recognizes “no other [peace] agreement” but the “legal and binding” Tripoli accord signed on September 2, 1996 by the Ramos administration and the MNLF.

The official, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told The Manila Times that he was quoting from a letter sent to the MNLF by Iyad Bin Amin Madani, the OIC secretary general, who had refused an invitation from the Philippine government to witness the signing of the CAB in March this year.

Madani, 67, the OIC’s 10th secretary general, succeeded Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who in 2013 ended his term at the organization that was founded in 1969.

He heads an influential group that is “the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people[s] of the world,” according to the OIC website.

The MNLF official said the MNLF sees President Benigno Aquino 3rd signing the Bangsamoro pact as “a provocative act that [has created] another serious conflict for the people of Mindanao,” home in the South to the Philippines’ Muslim minority.

The official added that the organization’s leaders reaffirmed during a meeting in Davao City last Saturday that the only peace deal that matters to them is the Tripoli Agreement, which, for one, created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Also during the meeting, the MNLF official said, the organization’s leaders noted that President Aquino had promised but failed to resolve 42 “defective” provisions of Republic Act 9054 that amended RA 6734, which created the ARMM.

The “expeditious” signing of the CAB and the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law that would create the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) is “tantamount to violation” of the1996 peace pact, the official added.

No fear But despite reports on the involvement of MILF fighters in kidnapping activities in the south, Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said there is no reason to fear the outcome of the peace deal between the government and the Muslim group.

In a press briefing, Coloma echoed the call of peace panel chairman Miriam Coronel-Ferrer on the MILF leadership to police its ranks and prevent members from aligning themselves with bandit groups such as the Abu Sayyaf.

“We remain focused on the objectives of the CAB, which is to be able to establish by 2016 the Bangsamoro Political Entity. If there are any efforts to derail that process, then both sides continue to be firmly committed to do what is needed in order to make sure that those efforts do not stand in the way of the ultimate objective,” the Palace official stressed.

Nine ASG members were killed during recent clashes with soldiers last week, among them Nur Espital who has been identified as a member of the MILF. Three other alleged MILF members were injured.

Ferrer said some MILF members are connected by affinity to Furuji Indama, the top leader of the ASG and one of the most wanted men in the country. Furuji is charged with several cases of murder and kidnappings.

“In the last three years, there were nearly 100 cases of abductions of children as young as a year old, students, businessmen, foreigners, journalists, senior citizens, barangay officials, and teachers. Many of these kidnap victims are still in captivity while some have been killed,” she noted.

But Coloma gave assurances that the President remains committed to every word contained in the CAB that was signed last March 27 in Malacañang.

“On the part of the President, he made clear that we should not be bothered by fear and uncertainty. We should not allow fear or uncertainty to affect our resolve to bring about the fruition of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro,” the Palace official said.

What is important, he explained, is that both Aquino and MILF chairman Al Haj Murad have declared before the world that they will ensure the success of the peace deal.

The 28-year-old Gao and 40-year-old Dayawan were abducted by six armed men from the Singamata Reef Resort in Sabah on April 2 and authorities believe they are being held at an undisclosed island in Mindanao.

Malaysia Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said the kidnappers have demanded P500 million (RM36.4 million) for the release of Gao, but made no ransom demand for Dayawan, who was an employee of the resort.

The Abu Sayyaf, a group of Filipino militants known to have taken several tourists and Malaysians hostage for ransom, are the suspected perpetrators.

“We expect to make a closure soon,” said inspector general Khalid. “Our priority is their safety. Anything we say could pose a threat to their safety.”

Another Malaysian official, Home Minister Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said Filipino authorities are negotiating with unidentified intermediaries for the release of the two women and the reduction of the ransom.

But he declined to elaborate on more details because of security concerns.

Last week, the Malaysian government admitted that the recent kidnapping shows that Malaysia’s borders remains porous and vulnerable to “serious” security threats.

Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak said the incident , the ongoing Flight MH370 crisis and last year’s armed Sulu intrusion in Lahad Datu, Sabah made it more pressing to improve security cooperation between Malaysia and her neighbours.

“Although the risk of conflict between Asean members seems remote, security relationships can be tested by chance events, as the global response to MH370 showed,” said Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Govt panel raises issue on basic law, MILF on ouster of Abu backersTWO government nominees to the 15-man Bangsamoro Transition Commission have refused to sign the final copy of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, while two other members signed the draft “with reservations,” the Mindanews news service reported Monday.

But government chief negotiator Miriam Ferrer said the public should not read too much into the decision of Fatmawati Salapuddin and Johaira Wahab not to attend Sunday’s signing ceremony of the draft BBL.

“In a process like this, you cannot really expect a 100 percent consensus among the BTC members,” Ferrer said.

“But this is not the end of the road. The draft will be submitted to Malacañang (today, Tuesday), and it will undergo due diligence. The final Palace-approved draft which will be submitted to Congress is what the entire BTC will carry,” she added.

Ferrer acknowledged that the BTC commissioners who refused to sign the draft “may have reservations over some provisions of the BBL.”

“Perhaps they felt that some provisions went beyond the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro or maybe they had other interests in mind,” she said.

She said the draft BBL will be “refined” through the review process by a legal team under the Office of the President.

The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is aimed at ending a decades-long Muslim insurgency in Mindanao.

But MILF Vice Chairman for Political Affairs Ghadzali Jaafar on Monday asked Ferrer to explain what she meant when she reportedly asked the rebel group to expel members who have an alliance with the Abu Sayyaf Group. Jaafar held out the possibility that Ferrer was misquoted, however.

“That kind of statement she is not supposed to [issue] because she will be misunderstood,” Jaafar said.

“But we think she may have been misquoted by the reporters who interviewed her. I think it’s better to verify what she meant by her statement,” he added.

Jaafar said he is also not sure if Ferrer was speaking on behalf of the Armed Forces, which has consistently accused the MILF of having an alliance with the Abu Sayyaf kidnap gang operating in Basilan and Sulu.

“Definitely, we don’t have an alliance with the Abu Sayyaf. Why should we enter into an alliance with the Abu Sayyaf... when we have signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro last March 27?” he said.
Ferrer played down Jaafar’s concern.

“We are not accusing the MILF of anything, especially not as an organization. We are asking their help,” Ferrer said in a phone interview.
“They are in the best position to discipline their own ranks,” she added.
Ferrer said if Jaafar felt she should not have made a public call on the MILF to expel members who have supported criminal elements such as the Abu Sayyaf, she respects his opinion.

Lawmakers on Monday rallied behind the government’s call for the MILF to get rid of members who support the Abu Sayyaf.

Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz, a member of the independent minority bloc, said the government must enforce an iron fist policy against the bandits.

“Not just ask, but the government should demand the expulsion and cases to be brought versus these people, and if possible, jointly bring them to face justice. They should not let them get away,” De la Cruz told the Manila Standard.

“It is but right for the government to require the MILF to expel belligerent members because these are lawless people. They are breakers of the long awaited peace in Mindanao,” Tugna said.

Albano, a member of the House committee on national defense, said that bandits in any form have no place in a peace loving country like the Philippines.

“They are bandits. Whether they are MILF or MNLF, they should be arrested,” Albano said.

The government’s peace agreement with the MILF paves the way for the creation of the Bangsamoro, a political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The leadership of both houses of Congress have committed to pass the BBL by December, after which a plebiscite will be held in the first quarter of 2015.

The plebiscite will cover the current provinces and cities in the ARMM, the cities of Isabela and Cotabato, six municipalities in Lanao del Norte, and 39 barangays in six municipalities of Cotabato province.

After the plebiscite, the government aims to put the Bang
samoro Transition Authority in place by 2015 to serve as interim government until the elections in 2016.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) expects no delay in the passage of the law that would create the political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Interviewed by phone on Monday, MILF vice chairman Ghazali Jaafar expressed confidence in the passage of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law although he expects lawmakers to seek clarifications on some of its "important points."

Jaafar said the draft, which was signed Sunday, will now be sent to Malacañang. President Benigno Aquino III is expected to certify it as urgent when he submits it to Congress for deliberation and eventual approval.

Once approved by Congress, the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will be put through a plebiscite involving Mindanao provinces under the proposed Bangsamoro political entity. The Palace hopes to conduct the plebiscite by June 2016.

Mohagher Iqbal, chairman of the MILF peace panel and Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), said the completed draft of the BBL was signed Sunday afternoon.

“Now we have the full text of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. This will be transmitted to the Office of the President immediately. Indeed, this is not only an achievement of a lifetime; it is a history in the making,” Iqbal said in a statement on BTC's Facebook page.

In an article posted on luwaran.com, the official website of the MILF, Iqbal was quoted as saying that the Basic Law is not perfect but it “has passed through all levels of deliberations and decision-making which are transparent and democratic.”

The report said the proposed law was completed and adopted in a plenary by the BTC on April 20 in their Cotabato City office.

Thirteen of the 15 members of the Transition Commission signed the draft. Absent were lady commissioners from the government side, Johaira Wahab from Maguindanao and Fatmawati Salapuddin from Basilan. The two do not have any explanation for their absence, the report said.

Just like Jaafar, Iqbal expressed confidence “in the trustworthiness of the President to deliver the BBL as his legacy to the nation in distress for more than our decades.”

He said a provision on the creation of Bangsamoro regional police, which was missing in the initial draft, is now part of the completed version of the proposed law.

Cops block members of a militant group from getting near the US Embassy
along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Monday, April 21. The rallyists are
protesting the scheduled visit of US President Barack Obama on April 28. Danny Pata

The Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) composed of representatives from the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has signed the final draft of the proposed law that will establish the Bangsamoro government in Mindanao, officials yesterday said.

Two commissioners from the government side of the 15-man BTC, however, were conspicuously absent while two other members signed with reservations.

“Except for two BTC commissioners, all the members signed the document,” Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chairman for political affairs, said.

No reason was given when Johaira Wahab, chairman of the Committee on Transitory Provisions, Amendments, Revisions and Miscellaneous Matters, and Fatmawati Salapuddin of Sulu failed to attend the signing.

Commissioners Froilyn Mendoza representing the indigenous peoples, and Peter Eisma of Basilan signed with reservations.

“Hopefully, the proposed law which underwent a thorough consultation and study, will get the approval of the Philippine Congress,” Jaafar said.

The unsigned and partial draft copy of the document had been forwarded to the Office of the President (OP) for review.

BTC chairman Mohagher Iqbal was quoted in the MILF website Luwaran as telling his fellow commissioners that with the signing of the BBL they have overcome the “greatest challenge of the Commission”.

“It is not a perfect basic law since there is no such thing as a perfect basic law,” Iqbal said.

He emphasized though the BBL “has passed through all levels of deliberations and decision-making which are transparent and democratic.

Since the BBL would now be transmitted to the OP, Iqbal expressed the view that their engagement with the OP as “not worrisome.”

“The government and the MILF, after the signing of the CAB, are partners and therefore the engagement is one of problem-solving and partnership,” he explained.

“We believe in the trustworthiness of the President to deliver the BBL as his legacy to the nation in distress for more than our decades,” he stressed in his message.

Chief government negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer has denied news circulating in the social media that the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process has directed three of BTC commissioners not to sign the draft.

Ferrer said the report was false and reiterated that the OPAPP did not order any BTC member not to affix his signature on the draft law.

Meanwhile, the Muslim community in the country has something to celebrate because the basic law on the CAB has the support of both houses of Congress.

This was revealed by Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas after he was informed by his colleagues that they have more than enough in numbers to support the measure.

“It will be a walk in the park,” Fariñas told reporters in a chance interview.

He said they are just awaiting the draft bill to be submitted to Congress when they resume session on May 5. The draft basic law will be filed and expected to be referred to the concern committees who will start the hearing.

“The leadership will only identify who will be the lead committee and they can schedule the hearing immediately,” Fariñas explained.

He said all members of every committee that will focus on this measure can have a chance to scrutinize the bill and can make some amendments and recommendations.

Once it was approved by the committee, he said they will refer this to plenary for open debates.

“I am not sure when will this be passed but I still believe that it can be passed within the time frame set by officials of House of Representatives,” the Assistant Majority Floor Leader said.

When asked if the draft basic law can be questioned in the Supreme Court on its constitutionality, he said the possibility is still high because those who are not yet convinced will not stop.

“Any citizen of the country can question this before the high tribunal but there is no guarantee that the magistrates will favor their position,” he pointed out.

Fariñas said they will anticipate a long process and intense plenary debates on the proposed law just any other measures before it becomes a law.

He added the quest for a real and lasting peace must start now as he encouraged other Muslims to join the bandwagon for peace and prosperity.

“This bill is one of the most significant measures that will give teeth to the peace agreement, seal the deal and finally put an end to the decades of unrest here in Mindanao,” he concluded.

Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison, however, expressed concern that the enactment of the BBL will not usher in peace, but will open the floodgates of foreign exploitation in Mindanao.

He noted that the main beneficiary of the Bangsamoro entity would be the investors from the US, European Community, Japan, Australia and Malaysia.

“The (Aquino) administration has enough time and numbers in both houses of Congress to ram through the BBL, not to mention the pork barrel for persuading possible oppositionists. It is a bit of balderdash that Aquino wants to have a legacy of making peace in the Bangsamoro areas,” Sison said.

He explained that the Aquino administration and its allies “are obviously using the provision in the 1987 Constitution that created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in order to give a constitutional grounding to the Bangsamoro political entity, and present this new entity as a replacement of the existing ARMM political organ which shall be abolished upon the promulgation and ratification of the BBL. In this connection, all other constitutional issues can be fixed by further ‘language engineering’ by the GRP, with the MILF predisposed to consent.”

Sison, however, stressed “it is reasonable to estimate that the Aquino regime is taking the MILF for a ride, if only to cause the dissolution of the MILF as a revolutionary organization. But most likely, the ride is not shorter than going all the way to the establishment of the Bangsamoro political entity. The US and GRP strategists are known to calculate that the MILF will go the way of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).”

The teachers and students of the BarasElementary School
expressed their gratitude for the completion of the rehabilitation of the
school ready to be used next school year.

School principal Len Artiga thanked the Korean and Philippine soldiers who
rehabilitated the school hit by Yolanda, for a period of 25 days, from March 11
to April 8, 2014.

She said the pupils can proudly say that their school was constructed
because of the strong friendship between the Korean and Philippine
Government through their respective soldiers.

She said the school is lucky to have been chosen as one of the schools in Leyte to be rehabilitated by the joint team.

Surely, this help extended to them will forever be etched in the hearts of
the pupils and the teachers, the principal said.

The said school rehabilitation was jointly undertaken by the Republic of Korea Joint Support Group led by its
commander Colonel Lee Chulwon and the 546th Engineer Construction Battalion of
the Philippine Army led by 1Lt. James Lowell P. Andaya.

The rehabilitation work included the repair of ceiling boards and jalousies,
laying of CHB and painting of the entire school building.

The turnover of the rehabilitated school was attended by ROK Commander Col.
Lee Chulwon, Monk Jung Woo, head of Korean Buddhist; 546 EBC and 543 EBC troops
led by Lt. Col. Edgar Yerro, the commanding officer of 546EBC; Mrs. Len Artiga
and Efren Santa Monico, the barangay chairman of Barangay Baras.

The 12th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army based at CampJizmundo,
Libas, Banga, Aklan has a new commanding officer who was installed March 25 of
this year.

This new commanding officer is Lt. Col. Wilfredo V. Isaac, who hails from Manila and whose previous
assignment was at the 11th IB in Negros Oriental. He replaced Lt. Col.
Eduardo Gubat.

Barely a month in his assignment as head of the 12th IB, Lt. Col. Isaac has
started going around the province for courtesy calls among Aklan’s provincial
and municipal officials, and for other official functions.

One of these recent functions which he and his men attended was the
launching of the Bayani Challenge in Libacao, Aklan April 12 upon the
invitation of Libacao mayor Vincent Navarosa.

The Bayani Challenge is an activity organized by the Gawad Kalinga with the
aim of gathering some 1 million volunteers to help in rehabilitation works for
victims of Typhoon Yolanda and other recent natural calamities in the Visayas
and other parts of the country.

In his message at the launching, Lt. Col. Isaac said the Bayanihan Challenge
of the Gawad Kalinga, which is a convergence of the different sectors of
society to help typhoon victims rise from the devastation, is also a means for
maintaining and sustaining peaceful communities.

“With a peaceful situation, more development will be ushered in. Aklan
is a peaceful province and we are here to ensure that this province will stay
peaceful,” Lt. Col. Isaac said.

Lt. Col. Isaac and his men also assisted the Operation Blessing Foundation,
Inc. (OBFI), a non-government organization (NGO), in the distribution of
non-food relief items to various barangays in several Aklan towns which were
assessed to have suffered much from Typhoon Yolanda’s devastation November 8
last year.

Coinciding with the distribution activities, Lt. Col. Isaac made courtesy
calls among barangay officials in Libacao and Malay, Aklan, at the same time
assessing the status of the peace and order situation and military activities
in the respective areas.

A female member of the New People’s Army (NPA) who admitted participation in
an encounter in early April in Balayong, Pamplona
town in Negros Oriental, has surrendered to authorities of the 79th Infantry
Battalion of the Philippine Army.

Lt. Col. Harry Pascua, 79th IB commander, identified the woman as Maribeth
Lascunia, alias Raylin and Antonina, an alleged member of the PG Squad 1,
alternate PG AYP Team and Head Technical of the NPA’s South East Front of the
Komiteng Rehiyon Negros (SEF-KRN).

She is the daughter of Jury Lascunia alias Rebas, a former NPA member
assigned to the PG Squad 2 and VSL Squad 1 SEF-KRN who surrendered to the same
Army battalion last July 2013.

During a press conference Monday morning at the battalion headquarters in
the town of Siaton, about an hour’s drive south of this capital, Army
authorities disclosed that the “amazon” or female fighter was wounded during
the encounter last April 3 and sought refuge and rested overnight at a house of
a local resident of Sitio Baliwon in Barangay Balayong, Pamplona.

The next day, Army troops arrived at the said house where she stayed and
convinced her to surrender. They offered medication for her wounded left arm. A
barangay official of Balayong was also present at the time to assure her of proper
treatment and that no harm will come to her.

Maribeth Lascunia alias Raylin then agreed to go to the house of the
barangay official where she showered and changed clothes before she left with
the Army authorities to Sibulan where an interview took place.

Afterwards, she was brought to the battalion headquarters in Siaton on April
4 where she voluntarily stayed there although her presence at the Army camp was
kept in the dark as requested by her father for security reasons, according to
Lt. Col. Pascua.

The father of Maribeth, Jury Lascunia, was informed through a letter on
April 5 that she was at the battalion headquarters. It was timely as he had a
scheduled interview the next day with Ms. Alice Legarde of the provincial
Social Welfare and Development Office.

The father expressed joy and gratitude after seeing his daughter undergoing
treatment at the Army camp and requested that she stay there further for
safekeeping.

According to Lt. Col. Pascua, it was the father’s request that prevented the
Army from disclosing information that a wounded “amazon” was captured after the
encounter.

Both have been cooperative with government authorities as they intimated
their desire to avail of the government programs for rebel returnees.

Present during the press conference were Governor Roel Degamo, Dr. Jess
Cañete of the Commission on Human Rights, Brig. Gen. Francisco Patrimonio,
commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade and Ms. Legarde of the provincial DSWD.

The Municipal Government of Talaingod this morning set a Tribal Forum at the Tribal Council in JBL, Barangay Sto. Nino to further look after the welfare of displaced Ata-Manobos.

In a letter of invitation dated April 18, Municipal Mayor Basilio A. Libayao revealed the Tribal Forum as an offshoot to the lingering concern of the LGU over the Ata-Manobos who left for Davao City from Sitio Nasilaban in early April due to military operations.

“This is in relation with the Local Government Unit and its
officialdom’s anxiety and apprehensions on the plight of our lumad (indigenous
people) constituents who were dragged by NGOs to leave their abodes in Sitio
Nasilaban on April 3, 2014 and labelled them evacuees because of supposed
military operations in the area”.

A report submitted to Davao del Norte Provincial Gov. Rodolfo P. del Rosario through the Provincial Social Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) dated April 2, Libayao revealed the partial number of displaced individuals running a total of 1,795 individuals.

In his report to the Governor, Libayao said the
affected were coming from sitio Bugni, Laslasakan, Bagang,
Sitio Bayabas, Sambolongan, Nalubas-1, Nalubas-2, Pongpong, Saso,
Nasilaban and Banwalay and that they were taking refuge at Sitios
Nasilaban and Banlaway of Barangay Palma Gil.

However, in a press conference held at the Municipal Mayor’s
Office of Talaingod on April 7, the total number of affected
individuals ran up a total of 2,352 as registered by the Municipal Social
Welfare Office (MSWDO)

LGU Relief Operation

In the same letter to Del Rosario, Basilio set the first
round of relief operation on April 4 in Barangay Palma Gil, bringing five kilos
of rice, four cans of sardines, two pouches of noodles, one pack of coffee of
25 grams, sugar and detergent soap.

However, he said some of the evacuees were “hauled” by
certain NGOs at wee hours on April 3. The LGU together with contingents from
the military and the police still went on to deliver the relief goods on April
4 to Brgy Palma Gil but their convoy almost got hit by a landmine.

In a continuing effort to address the outflow of Ata-Manobo to Davao City, Libayao during the press conference appealed to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to help Talaingod LGU bring back its constituents.

Libayao assured evacuees of enough relief supplies and medicine including a safe place to stay at an evacuation center in Barangay Palma Gil using the P500,000 calamity funds released by the LGU after declaring a partial State of Calamity.

Municipal Administrator Zandro Tocmo in a separate talk revealed that on April 9, the LGU brought food and medicine to the evacuees housed by a certain NGO in Davao City.

Basilio revealed the same in his letter to PIA but he said “unfortunately,
our offer was rejected by the NGOs”.

During the forum this morning, Basilio identified the NGOs as
the Rural Mission of the Philipines (RMP) and PASAKA (a confederation of IP organizations
in Southern Mindanao) which had been keeping the Talaingod Ata-Manobos at the
United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) in DavaoCity.

Meanwhile, the LGU waged another relief drive on April 15 in Barangay Palma Gil. Tocmo told PIA XI that the LGU was set to deliver on that day 30 sacks of rice, 600 packs of relief goods from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) XI and 800 packs of the same from the provincial government of Davao del Norte to the evacuation center in Palma Gil for the evacuees who stayed in the barangay.

The relief supply delivery was also in anticipation of the return of the Ata-Manobo evacuees from Davao City, Tocmo said.

NGO Appeal

On the other hand, the Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanogon- PASAKA published an Appeal for Support “Defend Talaingod, Save Pantaron Range” dated April 10, posted at bayanusa.org, saying “the Manobo People’s Exodus is part of their continuing struggle for justice and peace, to fulfil their quest for land rights and self-determination.”

It appealed for food, psycho-social services and medicine including
vitamins. Aside from in-kind donations which “may brought to UCCP Haran
House in FatherSelgaSt.,DavaoCity”, the Salugpungan Ta Tanu
Igkanogon- PASAKA is also open for donations in pesos and in dollars.

The PASAKA Appeal also called support for the “demands of the Manobo
people of Talaingod led by the Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanugon people’s
organization.”

Among the demands were pull out all military troops from Talaingod; investigate and prosecute those who have perpetrated the documented war crimes; just reparations for any damaged homes, sources and means of livelihood of the people; stop the attacks on indigenous schools, students and personnel.

PDOP

Military commander Lt. Harold Cabreros of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade, denied accusations on military abuse saying troops deployed at the outskirts of Talaingod were well educated on proper conduct and human rights laws.

He said they belonged to Special Forces specializing on “mass-base
operation” tasked to carry out Peace and Development Program (PDOP), a
major internal peace and security program of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP).

Libayao was against the idea of pulling out the military troops saying
the military serves to clear the far-flung areas of Talaingod of New People’s
Army (NPA)s who continue to control some sitios.

“There are still areas where even we, in the LGU cannot enter. We cannot deliver our development projects,” he said particularly referring to sitios Pongpong, Bagang, Lasaban and some other were areas at the outskirts of Talaingod.

The communist New People’s Army (NPA) said Davao del Sur Governor Claude Bautista has been keeping a company-strong private armed group in Malita, making him the “most powerful warlord” in the provinces of Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental.

In an emailed statement, Ka Efren Aksasato, spokesperson of the NDF (National Democratic Front) Far South Mindanao region, also said the NPA has vowed to carry out more attacks to weaken Bautista’s rule in the provinces.

Bautista denied the allegations, saying residents could attest to the fact that he has been guarded by policemen, not by private armed guards.

The NPA also said in a statement that they were not surprised that
Bautista came to the defense of Jose Abad Santos Mayor James “Jimmy” Joyce, whose house in the village of Culaman in Jose Abad Santos town the NPAs raided on April 13.

“The group punished by the Red fighters is a band of armed mercenaries working for Joyce,” the statement said, “They were not mere civilian volunteers. They were employed for the mayor’s protection and instrument of his repressive rule.”

The NPA alleged the armed men were “agents of his (the mayor’s) criminal activities and illegal operations, which made them a legitimate target of the NPA’s tactical Offensives.”

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Apr 21): Balikatan could spoil peace talks, says militant groupWith the 30th edition of the Balikatan exercises to begin on May 5, one militant group warned President Benigno Aquino III that the military drills could hamper the peace negotiations between them and the Philippine government.

In a statement, Randall Echanis and Rafael Baylosis of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines said that once the joint military exercises of almost 5,500 Filipino and American troops and the approval of the Agreement on Enhanced Defense Cooperation come into being, peace talks between the government and their group could turn to rubble.

Bicol would be the venue of the first phase of the Balikatan.

“Holding the Balikatan exercises in the Bicol region and the highly predicted signing of the Philippines—United States military access agreement in time for the visit of US President Barack Obama next week would not only spoil the resumption of peace talks,” Echanis and Baylosis said in a joint statement.

“In fact, this extreme puppetry of the Aquino government to Washington DC could lead to eventual collapse of the talks.”

Echanis and Baylosis added that the Balikatan and the AEDC are detrimental to both Philippine sovereignty and the “collective interest of the Filipino people.”

“One of the fundamentals of successful peace negotiations is the atmosphere and exercise of national sovereignty,” the two said. “Without national sovereignty, the peace talks will always be in danger or in the brink of collapse.”

Also, the two accused the Aquino administration of being lackadaisical with the peace talks with the communist group.

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 21): Palace: EDC still undergoing inter-agency review from both PHL and US sides

Malacanang said on Monday the proposed Enhanced Defense Cooperation (EDC)
agreement between the Philippines
and the United States
is currently undergoing an inter-agency vetting.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio
Coloma Jr. said that because of this, it is not likely that the EDC would be
signed in time for US
President Barack Obama’s visit to the Philippines next week.

“Noong huli tayong nagbigay ng update, ang sinabi ng Philippine panel ay
it’s (EDC) undergoing inter-agency vetting from both sides (The last time we
gave an update, the Philippine panel said that it’s still undergoing
inter-agency vetting from both sides),” Coloma said in a Palace media briefing.

He further said that the agreement is to have an implementation of aspects
wherein specific agencies of the government will play a role.

"There are implementing aspects that affect agencies of government
across the executive department and we will have to get their sign off before
we agree on the final draft of the agreement," he added.

Coloma also said that President Obama’s visit is not at all linked to the
signing of the EDC, so there is “really no deadline or pressure” on getting it
signed immediately.

“Ang mahalaga sa lahat, kung ano man ang magiging laman nitong kasunduang
ito ay dapat na naaayon sa pambansang interes ng Pilipinas (What is most
important is that whatever is contained in this agreement will be according to
the national interest of the Philippines),”
he said.

As for President Obama’s state-visit itinerary, Coloma said its details have
yet to be released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front do not have ties with the Abu Sayyaf bandit group, an MILF official stressed Monday.

In an interview, MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghazali Jaafar said his group has no reason to form an alliance with the Abu Sayyaf after signing a peace deal with the Philippine government.

"Why should we enter into an alliance with the Abu Sayyaf at this point in time when we have signed the comprehensive agreement on the Bangsamoro?" Jaafar told reporters over the phone.

On Sunday, government peace panel chairperson Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said in a statement that some MILF supporters "are intricately involved with" the Abu Sayyaf, particularly with top bandit leader Furuji Indama.

Coronel-Ferrer also said the MILF leadership "should expel from their ranks those who reject peace and are directly or indirectly abetting the hostage-taking and preventing development to set in."

But Jaafar said that such statements are "not supposed to be coming" from the chairman of the government's peace panel.

AFP spokesman Major General Domingo Tutaan Jr., however, said those involved in the encounter “can be former MILF members who left or former MILF members who broke away from MILF itself and engaged in criminal activities.”

The Abu Sayyaf, which has been blamed for several past kidnapping and bombing incidents in Mindanao, is getting logistical support from the global militant Islamist group al Qaeda, according to local authorities.

Cazcarro also stressed that this year's "Balikatan" will be 30th
iteration of the annual maneuvers.

Exercise "Balikatan" is an annual bilateral combined exercise
initiated by the governments of the Philippines
and United States.

It is scheduled in the Philippines
from May 5 to 16.

Cazcarro said the staff planning exercises are scheduled in CampAguinaldo,
Quezon City and in Western Command in Puerto
Princesa while the field training exercises will be conducted in military camps
in Luzon -- Clark Air Base, CrowValley and FortMagsaysay.

"Balikatan 2014 is structured to further develop the AFP in
crisis-action planning, enhancing its ability to effectively conduct
counter-terrorism operations, and promote interoperability with the US Armed
Forces," she added.

The annual exercise is consistent with the Mutual Defense Treaty and
Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines
and the US
which aim is to continue both countries’ commitment to train, share information
and provide support to each other.

From ABS-CBN (Apr 21): Will Obama do a 'Danny Russel' in Manila?The White House has laid out the schedule of US President Barack Obama in the Philippines, but whether or not he will be more vocal insofar as any warnings against China remains unclear.

In a press briefing at the White House, National Security Advisor Susan Rice said Obama’s Asian trip – which will take him to five countries – is an opportunity to “solidify and modernize our alliances and partnerships" as well as "advance our economic agenda…”

She said the United States will remain “a major security partner” for the long term.

Asked if Obama will do a Daniel Russel on warning China, Rice said: “I think you will hear the President say what has been consistently US policy, which is that these disputes need to be resolved, ought to be resolved through peaceful means, not through coercion, not through threats, not through anything other than peaceful diplomatic means based on the rule of law.”

Russel, Obama’s diplomatic point man in East Asia, earlier told a congressional testimony that the US had “growing concerns” that China’s aggression was an effort to control oceans in the Asian region similar to what Russia did over Crimea.

China later slammed Russel’s statements, saying the US seems to be undermining peace efforts in the region.

Rice said Obama’s trip underscores the Asian pivot, as earlier promised.
The White House dubbed the US strategy as the Asian “pivot,” which is meant to refocus America’s policies towards Asia away from the costly wars of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Growth in the region
Rice said that “nearly half of all growth outside the United States is expected to come from Asia” over the next five years.

“There’s a significant demand for U.S. leadership in that region, and our strategy of rebalancing to Asia includes economic, political, security and cultural interests in Northeast and Southeast Asia. The different components of our strategy will be on display throughout the trip,” she said.

Obama will be arriving in Manila in the morning of April 28. A state dinner will be hosted in the evening by President Benigno Aquino III.
US Press Secretary Jay Carney said the following day, Obama will view a new electronic vehicle called Comet.

“This is one of the principal means of people getting around. There’s a new electric vehicle that’s being supported by a technology maker in the United States, and so he’ll have a chance to review progress on that project,” Carney said.

Obama will then proceed to Fort Bonifacio, where he will talk to US and Filipino service members and veterans “to underscore our deep security cooperation over the years, but also our security cooperation in the current environment in the Asia Pacific as we seek to build out and advance the relationship between our militaries.”